Girl Meets the Long Game
by AncientCovenants
Summary: And suddenly, it was crystal clear to her whom she was playing the long game with... and she didn't mind one bit. Now an anthology of moments from the "Girl Meets the Long Game" universe.
1. Girl Meets the Long Game

**Girl Meets the Long Game**

 **Summary** **:** And suddenly, it was crystal clear to her whom she was playing the long game with... and she didn't mind one bit.

 **A/N:** So Texas left things… unresolved. And every time I see _that_ moment at the end of part two, I keep hoping to see a different outcome… so, _so_ close…

But I understand why things went the way they did and though it hurts to have it close (for now) in such an uncertain place, I do think that, ultimately, this will have been for the best. They say that time heals all wounds… well, I think that everyone needs some time to heal from this before they can go forward. After all, things are never quite that simple in matters of the heart.

If (or, rather, when) things, one day, get resolved to the point where something like the following could happen, I will be happy. Until then… there's fan-fiction.

I had specific characters in mind for these scenes but, because of all the unresolved everything after Texas, I decided to make it as ambiguous as possible. But I ship the ending, I really do, and I hope that, taking the time difference (it's set sometime in their future when they're older and wiser) into consideration, the characters aren't too OOC. Enjoy!

* * *

It wasn't uncommon for characters in a movie to have some sort of life-altering revelation. But things like that just didn't happen in real life.

Until… they did.

It didn't have an orchestral backing or a dramatic climax, but the implications of the revelation were just as important all the same.

Because this thing, this revelation, was no longer just an obvious fact that had been overlooked, like "gravity keeps us from flying away" or "Superman's weakness is kryptonite".

It was glass… it was a diamond. Sharp and focused and magnified to crystal clarity so that each and every facet could been seen by the naked eye.

How had it been hidden all this time?

She looked up at the one she thought she had fallen in love with. Her first true love, an epic love to endure for all time…

And she felt… closure.

"I'm sorry… the long game with you ends _here_."

* * *

He was sleeping. No. He _had been_ sleeping, now he was drifting in and out of consciousness, something potentially important pulling him into awakening.

It might have something to do with the burglar breaking into his room. Though, perhaps breaking and entering was a bit of a stretch, considering that his window was perpetually unlocked and he could sense the familiarity of said burglar.

The familiar not-quite-a-burglar easily lifted his window and slipped inside his room. He turned onto his back and squinted at the golden-crowned shadow that had appeared. The shadow crossed his room to the far side of his bed, removing uncomfortable articles of clothing in the process, until it was close enough to pull up a corner of his covers.

"Scooch over."

He sighed and did as they commanded. The shadow was always bossy.

The shadow didn't speak while it curled up under his covers, pulling one of his arms around it to use as a pillow as it laid on its back, sighing in contentment.

He turned on his side to face them but in the meager lighting that came through the window, he couldn't see the brilliant blue of their eyes. Nonetheless, he could still sense the moment of unease that passed through them. Fighting the darkness that threatened to pull him back to sleep he used some of the last remnants of his conscious state to ask,

"What happened with—"

The warm shadow turned on its side to face him, one hand with its fingers entangled with his from the arm that provided her pillow for the night, the other tracing gently down his chest to feel the steady rhythm of his heart.

"Shh…" it soothed him. "Go to sleep, Huckleberry…"

The shadow seemed to be content and sleep sounded like an excellent idea. His mind started drifting of its own accord, losing more and more ground to the realm of unconsciousness. The shadow turned onto its back once more and relaxed with him, serenely following him into the abyss of oblivion.

And in the aether between dreams and consciousness he heard,

"… looks like you're stuck with me for the long game."

With the last tendrils of wakefulness he possessed he curled himself into his shadow and smiled.


	2. Boy Meets Dance

**Boy Meets Dance**

 **Summary** **:** Yeah, he spoke their language. The language of secret eye messages and the even-more-secret meanings behind them. Loosely inspired by the hallway moment in "Girl Meets Father".

 **A/N:** Okay so one of my guest reviewers suggested that I should consider continuing this story. But since it _was_ meant to be a one shot, I probably won't continue it _per say_ … instead I am turning this into an anthology, a collection of (let's be honest, mostly Lucaya) moments from my Long Game universe.

These are one-shot stories I realistically see happening or having the potential to happen in this world so I decided, instead of posting them all separately, why not just put them all together? Since they do, after all, fall under the Long Game category anyway…

So, without further ado, I am proud to present to you my first ever anthology (which, let's face it, basically writes itself): **"Girl Meets the Long Game"**!

I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

He'd dubbed it "the Dance". When it first happened, its meaning wasn't as clear as it became later on. By then he had become semi-fluent in their language of shared looks and moments and the true meanings behind them… not that there was a dictionary for them, but he liked to think that he broke their code.

As time went on and their endless game continued, he stood watch as others wondered at the meaning of what they had seen transpire between them. But only he was well-versed enough in their language to know what it meant when they "danced".

They were angry, livid, furious… so much so that those around them thought that they might come to blows. But he knew the truth; it was just the start of their dance.

They yelled, they screamed, they stuck blows with words and venom and it began. Her hand came up in the shape of an open claw, her way of saying she was at the point where part of her wanted to end him, strangle him, choke the life out of his smirking face.

"Urgh!" was her only cry, because she could never quite bring herself to do him physical harm, as she turned on her heel and their argument ended. And thus their dance began.

He grabbed her hand that had been curled into a fist so tight that, if she didn't keep her nails short as to not get paint under them, they would have drawn blood. And like in a dance he twirled her back around to face him, the fire in his eyes simmering down to a sizzle and locking with hers. And like salve on a burn that look made the fury in her ebb away to nothing more than discontent.

"Hey," is all he said.

In the infancy of their dance, the words she spoke now were never the same and never nearly so cliché. But by now their dance was engraved in stone and her response was always the same:

"Hay is for horses."

And though their words never did them justice it was the language they spoke with their eyes that promised the world.

Because for those well-versed in their language, she meant

' _I know… wild horses couldn't tear us apart_.' And in that moment it was an absolute truth.

Because no matter how much they fought or bickered, they were drawn to each other in a way that two celestial bodies were. And he knew that even the two bodies in question weren't fully aware of how they seemed to gravitate towards each other and lose themselves in a world of their own making.

And because _she_ had said it, it was also understood to be a lighthearted jab at the cowboy, which was always a step in the right direction with them. It meant that, though they would have to revisit the conflict at a later date, they would do so with clear heads and open minds and that it would be resolved. Because neither of them could untangle their heart from the other's, nor did they really want to.

Gradually, her hand slid open against his and their fingers tangled together the way their hearts had, their palms pressed together to feel each other's pulse. And with a flash their anger and resentment vanished. They lowered their joined hands and turned to walk off together.

To the outside observer it certainly looked like a dance. One of the partners walks off only to have the other pull them back and rekindle their flame. But to him, there were multitudes spoken in their looks, with their eyes and touches. It was never so simple and straightforward but then, with them, it never was.

Once someone had asked him if that was it, if after all the fighting and arguing they just allowed their anger to melt away and could walk away as if nothing had happened. He just smiled. No one seemed to understand all that had passed between them in that moment; he was amongst the privileged few. And like those that he observed he kept his words few and vague:

"It's their dance."

* * *

 **A/N:** So here's a not-so-random question: what should the secret eye language of Lucaya be called? Lucayanese or simply Lucayan? Personally, I think I like the latter...


	3. Boy Meets Lion

**Boy Meets Lion**

 **Summary** **:** They agreed to keep their private lives private. That was easier said than done, damn that little blonde lion...

 **A/N:** I have so many Lucaya moments in my head I didn't even know where to begin... but this one in particular took hold of me and wouldn't let go. Once it popped into my head I couldn't get it out until I wrote it down. So I started outlining it on my phone while I was waiting for the bus and had it all mapped out before I got home...

It's cute, cliché and I was grinning so much while I was writing this (in the library, I had to keep myself from giggling in glee as I wrote it) that I'm pretty sure people thought I was mad. But I had lots of fun writing it and I hope you guys like it just as much.

I also hope you don't mind that it's not _quite_ like the last two chapters, but with such a big cast list for this, it was _torture_ trying to separate their voices. And, as it turn out, this is quite possibly the longest one shot I have ever written, so forgive the length, but I just couldn't help myself. Once the story started flowing, it was out of my hands.

So, yeah... Enjoy!

* * *

She instigated the game. But he didn't just followed her lead, sometimes he took a leap forward that had her vying to catch up. That was how they worked, a natural push and pull, a back and forth, a give and take. And they _definitely_ gave as good as they got... in _all_ aspects of their relationship.

So when one wanted things slow, they went slow. Sensual? Sure. Loving? Of course. Caring? You got it.

And when one (or both) needed something a little _more_ , a way to release the stress and pressures of the day...

Well, the words "Animal Planet" came to mind.

Which is why he was stuck in this situation now.

Because _someone_ liked to dig in their claws a little too deep (not that he necessarily _minded_ ) and he would rather keep their personal life, well, _personal_.

'Good luck with _that_ ', said the suspiciously smug voice that had taken up residence in his head.

He scowled.

Zay, who had been running his mouth about something or other, had slowed to a stop as they turned the corner of the hallway and turned to him.

"Hello? Earth to _Lucas?_ "

Shaking the thoughts out of his head, he refocused his attention on his friend.

"Sorry. What'd you say?"

Said friend sighed in dramatic exasperation and shook his head. "Never mind, it can wait..." He could see Zay studying him for a split second trying to find out why he'd zoned out in the first place, before giving up and deciding to head to class. "See you at lunch."

And that was when things started to go south.

Zay gave him a parting pat on the shoulder...

And he _winced_.

In an instant, he could see the concern on Zay's face. He knew what was coming. But that didn't stop him from hoping against hope that it wouldn't.

"You okay, man?"

 _And there it was._

He couldn't tell him the truth. He'd never let him live it down. He had to lie and he had to lie _now_.

And in the split second before Zay started to narrow his eyes in suspicion, his mind scrambled for a plausible explanation, _any explanation really_ , just as long as it wasn't _the truth..._

"I went to the batting cages yesterday and got distracted... ball got me pretty good." His hand went up to rub at his injured shoulder to sell the story.

Now it was Zay's turn to wince, only his was out of sympathy. "Ouch. Sorry."

He turned the corners of his lips up into an understanding smile and gave a small shrug. "You didn't know. See you later?"

"Yeah." Zay paused for a second to look him over. "Y'sure you're all right?"

He tried to keep his voice and his poker face steady as he answered. "I'm sure."

Finally, Zay nodded. "Okay..." He turned around and left.

He waited until Zay was out of sight before he let out the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

And then he looked at the stats.

Convincing Zay was _good_. If _he'd_ bought the story, then he'd pass it around to the others and he _just might_ get out of this with his pride intact.

'Good luck keeping up your story in the locker room with Zay _and_ Farkle.'

He was doomed.

The smug little voice was right. In a couple of periods he would have gym with the guys. And there was no way he could hide the truth from Farkle and Zay then.

He groaned and mentally cursed the original owner of the smug little voice that had created this mess (not that he had objected much, _or at all_ , at the time) as he went off to class.

How the hell was he gonna get out of _this?_

* * *

Two periods of class later and he still didn't have an answer.

He trudged through the hallways towards the gym and the _locker rooms_ , as if the extra few seconds would somehow yield a solution to the problem.

They didn't.

If he grabbed his clothes and changed in a bathroom stall, Zay would be suspicious. If he lagged behind until the locker room cleared out before changing, Zay and Farkle would just stay behind to wait for him.

And why did today, of all days, have to be _the_ day his last period teacher didn't have time to answer questions and write out late passes as the class was leaving because he had a staff meeting to go to and didn't want to be late.

There was no way out…

He paused in front of the locker room doors, his hand on the handle. He would think of something. He would think of _something_ …

He _had_ to.

He took in a breath…

And opened the door.

* * *

He could've _kissed_ Farkle. He really could have.

The genius _had_ to go and ask his friends a question about one of their classes as he sat on the bench and retied his laces. Lucas let out a small breath of relief at his luck and quickly turned his back towards the lockers to answer his friend as he changed his shirt.

It wasn't nearly as foolproof as he'd like as Zay was standing on his other side ( _why, oh, why did he get the locker between them?_ ) but if he angled it just right, he could use his casual countenance to lull them into believing that it was just a regular day and that nothing out of the ordinary was going on with him (or his back). And they wouldn't question it because—aside from the "batting cages incident"—there was no reason to suspect that everything _wasn't_ normal or that something was amiss.

Still, he couldn't change fast enough.

Or, rather, he didn't.

He was reminded of a question Mr. Matthews once asked.

' _How do you hide something in plain sight?'_

Not very well apparently.

Because Farkle had tied his shoes faster than he changed his shirt and leapt up to close his locker faster than he had time to process that his plan was about to fall to pieces and to _move..._

"Whoa, what happened to your back?"

D-U-C-K. Spelled with a capital _F_.

"Batting accident." Zay answered on autopilot as he rifled through his locker.

Let it go, let it _go_ , let it...

"What are you talking about? It looks like he got _mauled_ by a lion."

Zay's head came up.

Oh, no...

This was just like the _'what?'_ moment back in Texas when Maya first heard Cletus say _'ha-hurr'_. And just like then, nothing good could come of this moment.

There was no way out…

He didn't even protest when Farkle turned him around so that Zay could see the truth.

The most prominent mark was on his shoulder, the one Zay had clapped earlier, but there were similar marks, both fresh and still healing, all up and down his back.

He didn't have to see him to know that Zay's wheels were turning at lightning speed, quickly putting two and two together.

A _pitcher_ wouldn't be in the _batting_ cages.

And getting hit by a ball _definitely_ wouldn't leave _scratch marks_ …

 _No_ …

And considering that he had even _bothered_ to _lie_ about them in the first place led to only one conclusion.

One that Zay and his spreading grin had apparently come to.

"He _did_."

So much for keeping his private life private.

He could practically _feel_ the smug little voice grinning _with_ Zay...

And at Farkle's confused "I don't get it," the grins got bigger.

Zay went over to their perplexed friend, swinging an arm over his shoulder and whispering something in his ear.

He could see Farkle's eyes widen out of the corner of his eye while he finished changing and closed his locker. And as he made to leave the locker room he heard,

"Oh! I just got a mental picture... and there goes my innocence."

The smug little voice laughed.

* * *

It was inevitable of course that, after the initial awakening, his friends start to notice the _signs_ more and more. And it didn't help that this kind of thing _kept_ happening because a _certain lioness_ was downright _insatiable_. So when a sore and exhausted Lucas showed up to lunch one day, a part of one of the "marks" peeking over the edge of his collar, Zay's response was also inevitable.

Waiting until the girls had finished grabbing their lunch and joined them, Zay casually asked with a Cheshire grin, "So, what happened this time?"

The entire table turned to look at him sans Farkle—because he already _knew_ where this was going and was doing his best to look anywhere _but_ at him.

The menace responsible for all of this in the first place even looked at him with _concern_.

 _Damn it all..._

He gave up.

They were all bound to find out in one way or another so he might as well just accept it and move on.

There were _no_ secrets amongst the group.

And so, in an overdramatic display he was sure Zay himself would be proud of, he hung his head in shame and sighed,

"I got mauled by a lion..."

Zay laughed at his answer, a grin the size of Texas on his face, while Farkle snorted and shook his head.

He rolled his eyes at his so-called friends and dared a peek at his own personal menace.

And she didn't look contrite one bit.

Instead, she simply raised an eyebrow at him, poker face perfectly in place until...

"I don't get it."

Riley, poor, dear, innocent Riley looked between her friends, confused.

And instead of looking even the least bit embarrassed at the fact that she would now have to explain _exactly what that meant_ to Riley, he looked on with internal horror as a self-satisfied and positively _sinful_ smirk spread across her face.

 _Oh, no..._

He _knew_ what that meant.

She wasn't just going to get him back.

She was going to make _him pay her back_.

'So much for catching up on your _sleep_ tonight, _Ranger Rick..._ ' purred the voice.

He groaned internally.

His past in Texas must be catching up with him...

Because there was _no_ rest for the wicked.

* * *

A/N: Hope you liked it.

So, how hard must they have been going at it for her short-as-not-to-get-paint-underneath nails to leave marks?

I regret nothing... ;)


	4. Nothing like Hollywood DFTSS, Pt 1

**Nothing like Hollywood [DFTSS, Pt. 1]**

 **Summary:** He could see things coming from a mile away; he never saw _this_ coming…

 **A/N:** So I'm trying out something a little _different_ _…_ again. I'm going to write a story in bits and pieces and post it to this anthology because I consider it part of the universe I'm building. But I'm not going to post it continuously… in between chapters you're likely to find one-shots that have nothing to do with this tale and possibly even pieces of another story written in parts like this one.

Should be _interesting_ …

But don't worry, I'll let you know through the chapter titles what's what. I call the entire piece 'When Darkness Falls, Time Stands Still' so the chapters that are a part of this storyline will be labeled w/ 'DFTSS' for short.

Tomorrow I'll be posting part two of DFTSS but after that I'll likely take a short reprieve from it while I work on other things. Oh, and if you're wondering what this story'll be about, well… there's a hint in the title of the piece.

Questions? Comments? You know where to find me!

 _Happy New Year's Eve! [or New Year's Day to much of the world by now... much love to you all!]_

* * *

 _Hollywood lies._

There was no time to dive out of the way, to even breathe, let alone think about moving.

There was sight without sound, there was smoke without fire, there was pain without feeling…

It burned hot but he was cold, the earth shifted but only he moved, he was with them but he was not…

It… it was s _hock,_ a small, logical part of his brain helpfully supplied while the rest writhed and squirmed, screaming out and trying to retreat to the recesses of unconsciousness and blessed relief from

So.

Much.

 _Pain…_

He didn't know anything, not anymore, wondered if he ever knew anything at all…

Besides this.

Pain.

Fear.

Peac—

He clamped down on the feeling with a grit of his teeth.

 _No._

He would know pain and he would suffer and he would hurt…

Oh, god, _it hurt…_

It hurt _so_ much…

But was a necessary evil, because if there was peace, if there was rest and freedom from this agony…

He couldn't be sure he would ever return.

And he didn't _want_ to leave, not yet, _not now…_

He took a breath and shut his eyes against the onslaught of pain that brought.

And everything else came back to him: the smell of iron slowly rusting, the hot, sticky slick coating his fingers, the sound of screaming insisting he stay and fight and come on and _say something_ (or at least he thought that's what was said… everything was just a bit too _much_ at the moment to really tell, but _he thought_ he understood the sound's meaning)…

That last part, though, that seemed vaguely possible…

and perhaps that would put an end to the sound screeching in his ear like a banshee because he'd _really_ like to keep his hearing for the foreseeable future (no matter how short it might be).

Something rumbled and the screech stopped short. _That was nice, the silence was nice…_

He felt something press against him insistently. _The pain was not, the pain was definitely not!_

It meant well, the logical part of his mind provided. It really did.

Didn't mean some part of him didn't wish for their positions to be _reversed_ right now, though…

But, yeah, he sighed, it only meant to _help._

That was good… it was _nice…_

It meant that someone _cared._

It meant he wasn't alone…

The pressure was strong and stable, both surprising and comforting, and it gave him the oddest sensation of…

safety.

He felt safe.

Strong.

Warm.

Protected.

And through the pain and exhaustion and confusion he felt… not _at ease_ , but something like _hope._

It was okay.

Everything was okay.

He'd be…

okay.

* * *

 **A/N:** _Will I, won't I, will I, won't I, will I kill someone?_

Figuratively. With words. In my story. 'Cause I don't want to go to _prison_ or something…

I can't update if I'm in prison… ='(

 _What a way to end the year, huh? Catch you all tomorrow!_

 **P.S.** Thank you to all my reviewers… _you guys are so sweet! :)_

And to the anonymous 'Guest' reviewer who didn't actually leave a _review_ of my _work_ :

While constructive criticism is certainly welcome, merely ranting about the title of my work is _not_. Especially with no grammar or punctuation _(_ _I'm not particularly a Grammar Nazi but that was painful to read even for me)_ …

I would also like to point out that Josh and Maya aren't the only ones playing the long game. Auggie, Ava, Cory, Farkle, Josh, Lucas, Maya, Riley _and_ Topanga were _all_ there playing it during 'Girl Meets Family Game Night'. The long game isn't just a Joshaya (or a Lucaya) thing… it belongs to _everybody_ that was there that night and that wasn't there, to every single person out there reading this and who isn't reading this and is a rock…

Okay, maybe not that _last_ one _(sorry, Roxy)_ …

The point is…

The long game is _life_ … and that belongs to _everyone_.

 _See you in the new year!_


	5. Thunder like a BANG! DFTSS, Pt 2

**Thunder like a BANG! [DFTSS, Pt. 2]**

 **Summary:** His mind had ceased to function; everything just seemed so _surreal_ …

 **A/N:** Here it is, as promised, part 2 of _When Darkness Falls, Time Stands Still_. Sorry it's a bit late _(going by my time zone)_ , but hey, it's still New Year's Day somewhere! So a very merry new year to you all, I wish you all the best and I hope you enjoy.

* * *

It wasn't a _BANG!_

It was more like a crack of thunder.

Time slowed down.

He felt himself scream but didn't hear what he said.

Everything was just… RED.

The artist would probably give him hell for that.

But in his defense…

when staring at the barrel of a firecracker that had just gone off, things start to get a little… blurry.

He breathed.

In.

Blink.

Out.

And the world resumed ticking.

Albeit a little bit faster.

Or maybe that was his heart.

He could feel it in his throat.

He couldn't breathe.

It was like those times you find yourself falling in a dream—

Surreal.

Terrifying.

It wasn't real but it felt like it was.

Like this. This couldn't be real.

If he just closed his eyes and willed himself to wake everything would be alright. He probably just fell asleep in math class…

again.

And had—

A nightmare.

It was a lie, it was all a _lie_ , it wasn't real, _none_ of it was real…

Eyes open.

The nightmare was life, life was the nightmare, he didn't know where one ended and the other began…

No…

Something jarred his knees.

Oh. The ground had come up to meet them.

When did—

 _Okay._

Breathe, lungs—

 _Okay._

in, now out—

 _Okay._

and repeat.

Okay, _good._ Step one complete. Oxygen now flowing to brain, allowing for thought processes to occur.

Step two. _Think._ What to do? There was RED, so much _red_ , he had to stop the…

 _He couldn't think!_ What was that noise? It was a distant buzzing, like a gnat in his ear, only…

Was that _him?_ The buzzing was coming from his throat… was he _speaking?_ He didn't even know what he was saying, if he was saying anything at all…

The noise increased until it turned into a dull roar, like a rush of water, hundreds—if not thousands—of gallons of water tumbling over the edge of a precipice…

 _Hoover Dam…_

That's what he needed, to stop the red river from flowing…

A dam to stop it up…

The roar suddenly left him as he realized that his hearing had picked up on another noise, a faint mumbled interruption, but a far more important sound…

He strained for a moment to decode it, his head still a jumbled mess of thought and emotion [the latter of which was currently being tamped down in favour of _action_ ]…

"It's nothing like Hollywood."

Oh.

 _Oh._

Heh. That was—that was funny… that was—why was that _funny?_

Nothing about this is supposed to be funny, some rational part of what was left of his mind provided.

And yet…

There it was.

The humour in the darkest of days.

It was… surprisingly,

Grounding.

Calming.

Almost… _hopeful._

After all, they did say laughter was the best medicine.

So, maybe, if they could joke about this, if they could _laugh_ about this, then it would be okay…

Everything was going to be fine…

Everything was…

Slow, what, _why?_

 _Oh._

Oh, right…

The dam…

That damn _dam_ that he had forgotten to build because it had slipped his already precarious mind…

 _Fine…_

Laughter could wait.

First thing's first…

Stem the flow.

Deep breath.

And

 _press._

* * *

 **A/N:** _So how you liking it so far? :)_


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